The Stolen Generations are Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people who were forcibly removed as children from their families and communities through race-based policies set up by both State and Federal Governments from 1910 to the 1970s.

The effect of past day events that are present day impacts on Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people. If people don’t have the opportunity to heal from trauma, they may unknowingly pass it on to others through their behaviour. Their children may experience difficulties with attachment, disconnection from their extended families and culture and high levels of stress from family and community members who are dealing with the impacts of trauma.

For Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people, healing is a holistic process, which addresses mental, physical, emotional and spiritual needs and involves connections to culture, family and land. Healing works best when solutions are culturally strong, developed and driven at the local level, and led by Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples.

The Healing Foundation is a national Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander organisation that partners with communities to address the ongoing trauma caused by actions like the forced removal of children from their families.

About Us

Our people have demonstrated our resilience time and time again but more needs to be done to support the Stolen Generations and their families. We need to recognise the work yet to be done to move forward from saying sorry.

Florence Onus

The Healing Foundation is a national Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander organisation that partners with communities to address the ongoing trauma caused by actions like the forced removal of children from their families. Our work helps people create a different future.

We work with communities to create a place of safety, providing an environment for Stolen Generations members and their families to speak for themselves, tell their own stories and be in charge of their own healing.

The Healing Foundation is also leading the way in research in to Indigenous healing. Our studies are unique, valuable and highly regarded both locally and internationally.

We support locally-run projects, training and education, research and commemorations.

Since we started operations in 2010, we have:

funded more than 175 community organisations to lead and develop healing projects

established an impressive body of evidence and

assisted more than 45,000 Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander community members in their healing journeys

provided grants for local commemorative events.

We are governed by an Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander board, with strong connections to the community and a dynamic mix of experience.

Our head office is in Canberra. We also have offices in Melbourne, Brisbane, Adelaide, Darwin and the Torres Strait, with staff members working in communities around the country.

You don’t have to tell or explain your story to anybody, we just know what each other’s gone through. It’s so important to be together, to have that counselling with each other.

Aunty Lorraine Peeters

When we get together as a group of brothers, that have gone through that place, we start talking, joking and laughing. It’s given me my confidence to be able to stand up and talk a little bit now. Cause before you wouldn’t have been able to talk to me. I would have had to fight you first and talk to you afterwards.

Uncle Michael Welsh

We often neglect to talk about the things that are most important. What we feel and what we need. We shouldn’t be ashamed. We need to share our stories. And I get more passionate, the more I share my journey with metal health. It’s something we can only beat together.

Preston Campbell

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The Healing Foundation is a national Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander organisation that partners with communities to address the ongoing trauma caused by actions like the forced removal of children from their families. Our work helps people create a different future.